Stop It
by Sivillian
Summary: Adderkit has a problem. Without her evening dose of daily medicine -poppy seeds- she will die every night. COMPLETED.
1. Stop it!

RadianceClan Challenge: Sweet Dreams

* * *

Stop it! Stop these nightmares! I ask of you to please stop them. Every night, every sleeping moment, every blink of my eyes brings terror and darkness.

It's horrible! I refuse to go to sleep and take my naps. My mother tries to soothe me but without prevail. Do you know what it's like to sleep in a nightmare and then live in one?

I can hardly speak, but I am almost ready to become an apprentice. I'll be six moons old in exactly ten sunrises. My speech is slurred and I only understand basic like "food," "Adderkit," "Pikekit," "Mother," and "poppy."

My only hope of sleep is to swallow four poppy seeds at night. The medicine cat is frustrated with me. I can see it in her eyes. I'm a waste of medicine. But I don't care. Every moment of sleep is a nightmare. If I don't eat these four tiny black seeds, the night terrors haunt me.

They've tried to wean me off of of the poppy. First, it was four seeds every night, then a quarter moon later it was three and half. Three and a half poppy seeds don't work! Are they crazy?

Night is coming and I am tired. But I'm afraid. Afraid to sleep.

* * *

I pad towards the medicine cat's den. I see my Clanmates staring at me. I don't care. They whisper and gossip, but I'm over half deaf and can hardly hear them anyway. The fern fronds that lead into the burrow are laden with moisture from the evening's rain.

Careful, to dry my paws before entering the tore, I walk in cautiously. The little gray tabby she-cat already has four tiny seeds on a beech leaf waiting for me.

"Thunk ya." I attempt to thank her. I believed I've said it right because she nods.

"That is my last poppy seeds." She meowed loudly so I could hear.

"Okeh." I nodded slowly and took the poppy seeds to the nursery.

As I walked slowly back to the den, I noticed all the shiny puddles in the camp. I peered into one and gazed at my reflection. If I wasn't cursed with nightmares and born with ear problems I would have the toms lining up for me. I have shiny mottled amber tabby fur. My eyes are amber too. I should have been named Amberkit instead of Adderpaw. Oh well, right?

I saw my brother and mother waiting in the nursery so I quickly ran to them. I slipped in another puddle. This is not good!

The breeze carried away the seed! My tiny saviours were scattered in the wind. Pikekit saw this and ran out to catch them, but they were long gone now.

My mother, I think her name is Showapple. Er, maybe Snowdapple. More likely the latter right? She padded out and gasped. I watched her sprint back to the medicine den. I don't know the words to tell her the medicine cat ran out of poppy seeds, so I stayed silent.

So of course, tonight I will have a nightmare. Or will I? I just won't sleep tonight. You can't make me can you? Fox-dung.

Sleep is so tempting. You don't know how hard it is to resist it when you're curled up by the belly of your mother with your brother laying his warm pelt against you. Their bellies rose and fell in steady beats. They were sleeping. They were sleeping with sweet dreams of honeycombs and lofty dens laid with moss and swan feathers. Or, they could just not be having a dream at all. I'd give anything for either.

So I stared at the moon through the bramble-woven den. The moon was my last resort to stay awake. As long I gazed at her white pelt and gray eyes, I would stay awake. The moon seemed to shine right on me.

So I let the blackness of sleep envelop me. What a bad choice.

* * *

Stop it! I screamed. Hundreds of foxes leapt from the trees and rose from the ground. They snapped their fangs at me with drooling muzzles. They came out of nowhere.

Even in my sleep I could only hear the loudest of things. I didn't know when a fox would come close. I could only hear their chorus of barking that pounded in my ears.

I spotted the nursery. If I made it there, I would be safe! I ran so fast my heart hurt. But the nursery was no closer. More foxes dropped from the skies and the overhanging trees. They linked me down and snarled.

"Death to Adderkit." They sneered.

I screamed to StarClan as they clamped their jaws around my throat, spilling my blood in the earth. Their claws slashed through my skin and ripped out my body's squishy insides. I could feel my heart pump in the mouth of a fox. Its hot breath made my pulsing heart pulse in fear.

I heard a snap and my whole being became lifeless. Fox-heart in deed.

* * *

"Adderkit." My brother meowed in my ear. "You kicked me."

I would rather be squished by a flea-ridden elder all night suffer more nightmares. What is he complaining about? But I'm happy that I'm awake now. But I'm scared because I'm still tired.


	2. The Ferns

The Ferns

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I wish I could be a medicine cat. If I was I'd have a purpose in the Clan. I could train very hard and someday learn each herb, but I have almost lot all of my hearing. I tried to learn. I really did!

But I can't be a medicine cat. So I gave up and resumed the 'dream' of becoming a warrior. My apprentice ceremony will be in a few days. Nine sunrises exactly.

* * *

I was sitting at the entrance of the medicine cat's burrow. I just call her the 'medicine cat' since I don't know her name. I sat back in the cool fern fronds and let the risk dew cling to my fur. The evening sun was already setting, and it was warming my amber pelt nicely. But that meant nighttime was coming. Nighttime is terrible.

Finally, the medicine cat was awake. She had been taking a nap. I saw her stirring in the shadows, so I padded in. Her yellow eyes were glowing harshly in the dim light.

I could smell the tang of bitter herbs in her gray tabby fur. She knew what I was here for. She took on orange poppy head shook four seeds into a beech leaf. It was the only thing that made me rest peacefully.

But I shook my head. "Medicine." I meowed. "L... learn." I tried to say.

The medicine cat widened her eyes. Was she surprised? "Tomorrow." She said loudly into my ear.

I was happy for the first time. I picked up the leaf and padded to the nursery. The ferns brushed my pelt as I left. The ferns have been my only friend.

The cool air rushed through my nearing-deaf ears. It battered my face and made me squint. Remembering what happened yesterday, I ducked down and held the poppy seeds under my paw. These were fresh seeds. Good seeds. They would let me sleep peacefully. I am not going to lose them again.

The wind finally calmed down. I looked around. The trees overhanging the camp were still. I picked up my leaf and scurried into the den.

Snowdapple and the other queen, I believe her name is Redflower, we already asleep, but the other kits were playing leap tag. I don't really know the names of the other kits. And it's sad that I have a sister but I don't know her name.

Pikekit leapt at me and pinned me down. "Tag!" He shouted so I could hear.

But that was it. My poppy seeds were scattered. And Pikekit KNOWS I don't play leap tag. How do you think I lost my hearing and half of my left ear? Playing leap tag...

I swiped my claws across his face. I heard him yowl. Snowdapple and Redflpwer woke up. I watched Pikekit explain what happened.

My mother looked at me with a disappointing glare.

"Poppy!" I wailed in retaliation. "Lost!"

Snowdapple began to scold Pikekit. The other kits were laughing. The oldest kits were lame, is what they are thinking.

I searched frantically for the black seeds. But it was dark outside so the den was dark too. I shuffled my paws across the soft earth to feel them.

I found three of them. Three poppy seeds don't work, so as my eyelds began to droop, I looked for them even harder. I finally felt a bump under my paw.

I cuddled into the fur of my mother while the other continued to play. I lapped up the seeds. Finally, some good rest...

Then I swallowed a rock. Literally! I must have accidentally picked up a rock instead of a seed. You know what this means...

I was running. So fast that my paws fell off. They. Fell. Off. My mottled tabby paws poppy right off my legs! I can't run anymore!

I flopped over like a piece of prey. My nubby legs were working. They ran and ran, but I was still on my side, not moving. Stop this nightmare, StarClan!

The sky turned from blue to blood red and the golden sun turned black. The forest around me turned to bare trees as if it were leaf-bare. The grass and undergrowth burst into hot flames. The earth became bare dirt.

The smell of acrid stench assailed my nose. The temperature turned unbearable. I wasn't sure if it was freezing cold or scorching hot.

Then, like mole hills, black paws burst from the ground in hundreds of pairs as far as my mind's eye could see. They clawed their way out revealing orange legs. Then long white snouts poked out. The head of foxes rose from the earth. Their bodies followed.

They ran towards me, jaws wet and slobbery, dripping with blue blood. Instead of beady black eyes, they had amber eyes like me. Like my brother. Like my father.

I couldn't move. I couldn't run. My paws had fallen off. Finally the foxes were upon me. They all swarmed around. They grasped my pawless legs in their jaws. The stentch of thrush was on their breath. Their amber cat eyes were burning with hatred. They snarled and pulled.

I lay there limbless. Just a head, a body, and a tail. The foxes were fighting over my legs. Oh! A fox just yanked off my tail. Never mind. I'm just a head and body. The sound of fox barks were loud and pelted my ears like pebbles,

I woke up trashing. Pikekit and my sister were both sitting on my legs. Rain was dripping through the bramble ceiling and plopping on my ears. I pushed them off and slipped out of the nursery.

I stood in the rain. The cold water seeped into my pelt. The forest smelled damp and wet. Puddles pooled at my paws. I looked down at my reflection. My left ear was ugly and ragged. But my face was okay. I had a pretty pelt.

I looked up saw some warriors walking out of their den getting ready for dawn patrols. I didn't really like them. They were kind of mean to me.

I padded to the place behind the nursery where thick ferns grow. I laid down under them, feeling the water under my body. It was bon chilling but the ferns brushed my fur and me feel good. Then ferns are my only friends.

I try to sleep, but I get nightmares. I try to be a medicine cat, but the medicine cat gets frustrated and I can't hear about what the herbs do. I try to play but it's traumatic.

But everything is okay as long as the ferns grow.

* * *

This was going to be just a one-shot, but you guys liked it so I'll just post this and one more chapter. Read my one-shot titled "Daughter Problems" so you know how she lost her hearing. And read "Amber Fur" to learm more about her brother.


	3. The End

**The End**

* * *

My brother is gone. Pikepaw has died. I know he died. He's dead. My only saviour, besides my poppy seeds, is dead. I can't get him back. He'll never come back.

It was last night. I was in a deep sleep induced by poppy seeds. But I know when my brother isn't by my side. He left. He snuck out of camp with that little she-cat. Her name is Treepaw I think.

I've seen how my brother looks at her. His amber eyes sparkle like the sun on water. They both snuck out of camp last night. The Tory of his disappearance doesn't make since.

I never thought my brother would leave my side for another she-cat. Ever since our father was exiled for cutting my ears, and our mother died from a sickly piece of prey, Pikepaw has been the only cat I've known. The only cat I've loved.

Those two lovebirds had gone somewhere. Somewhere far away. I could smell the odd scent in Treepaw's pelt the morning she returned. Pikepaw's scent was in her fur as well, so I knew she was with him when he died.

But it wasn't her who killed him. She had only a tinge of prey blood. There was no cat blood.

There was a lot of commotion in the camp. I think they sent out patrols to find him. I kept hearing 'run away?' and 'kittypet?' as if they suspected he ran off with a kittypet. What gossip. Even I know what gossip is.

A ginger she-cat padded past me in a hurry. "Heya." I mewed.

She turned around, her blue eyes annoyed. Maybe she was annoyed that I am an apprentice, or that I'm weird, or maybe because I'm an apprentice almost the same age as her. I couldn't help but feel conscious. The air was suddenly hotter and the smooth earth under my paws felt prickly.

"What?" The warrior meowed. Well, I didn't hear it, but I can tell when a cat says 'what' to me.

"Pikepaw. Dead." I explained.

She began to yowl out words quickly at the rest of the Clan. I heard them clearly but didn't what they mean. Isn't that horrible? I lost my hearing before I could even learn enough words to hold a small conversation.

Suddenly, the warriors in camp swarmed around me. Alarm crackled in the air like dried bracken.

"You...kill Pikepaw?" One asked harshly. I only understood a few of his words. But his raised fur told me this wasn't good.

"...Foxwing's daughter..." Another snarled, anger scent rolling off in waves. What did my father have to do with this?

"Terror!" A big cream and brown-pointed to me growled. He was spitting his mews. "Murderer!"

"What!?" I must have screamed very loudly. They all recoiled at my word. But how dare they accuse me of my brother's death! Their anger scent turned to fear. Were they afraid of me?

The next thing I know me and a brown tortoiseshell is walking with me through the forest. She's also an apprentice. Her name is Brawnypaw. Er... at least I think that's what it is. She's definitely brawny... oh well. She doesn't like me anyway. Who cares if I know her name, right? She's hates me and Treepaw because lazy old Pikepaw loved us... us more than her.

But at least she helped me escape from the commotion in camp.

I turned my head when I smelled another cat. It was Treepaw herself. Gray dappled pelt and all. Brawny and Tree were speaking to each other, whispering from how they had their heads ducked.

We walked through the territory. Towards Forfreez. Maybe they will help find where Pikepaw died. Treepaw knows for sure. But instead we turned and padded towards SadoClan territory. I could smell the rotten food all the way from here.

When we go to the border, for whatever reason, we looked both ways before crossing the Thunderpath. A nomsta was far away but it was roaring and coming quickly.

I couldn't bear the scent of this stinky place. Of overpowers my other senses, the senses I rely on to survive.

Then I felt the shove. My paws fell out from under me. My chest skidded onto the acrid ground and I smacked my head into the hard Thunderpath. The earth was rumbling like thunder... of course.

I remember one of my first memories, back when I had two good ears. There was thunderstorm. The thunder roared in my ear fur. I could hear the crackle of lightning perfectly. I heard the short breaths of the warriors across camp and the lichen curtain waving in the wind from Barkstar's den.

I heard the scampering of prey in the forest... the small plops of rain on every leaf on every fern frond... that was the night I received my destiny. My purpose.

"You will be the greatest leader of the Clans, Adderkit." A cat of whom I did not recognisethe voice of had told me, whispering from the sky so softly I almost couldn't hear. "Your ability is a gift from the stars. You can hear every sound in the forest for as far as Silverpelt stretches. Use it wisely." And then the prophecy came. "The ferns and adders will become one to chase the fox."

But of course I will never ever fulfill that prophecy. I needed my super hearing. But the fox, my father Foxwing, gauged out my ears.

But laying here on the Thunderpath, with two she-cats glowering at me from the safety of the treeline with smug glints in their edges, I understand what it meant.

This is exactly what the prophecy meant. I was supposed to-

* * *

The End.


End file.
